Current water-wheel



(No Model.) '3 sheets-sheet 1.

R. E. GRAY. GURRBNT WATER WIJIL.`

No. 417,021. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

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(N0 Model.) 3 SheetS--Sheet '2.

R. BGRAY. CURRENT WATER WHEEL'.

' No. 417,021. `Patented Dec. 10,y 18819.

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N4 Firms. Phowmmgmpher, wnshingm. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. E. GRAY. I

CURRENT WATER WHEEL.

No. 417,021. PatentedDeo. 10. 1889.

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y and the longitudinal bar A.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

RICHARD E. GRAY, OF MUNCY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CU RRENT WATER-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,021, dated December10, 1889.

Application tiled September Z6, 1889. Serial No. 325,147. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD E. GRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Muncy, in the county of Lycoming and State of Penn-Sylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CurrentVVater-Vheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such `as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. n

This invention relates to certain improvements in current water-wheels,which will be hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, FigureI is a plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side eleva- Fig. 3 is aperspective view.

A is a frame, made of cast metal, having a longitudinal bar A aboutmidway of its width.

A A are cross-bars between the waterwheels.

B B B are short shafts supported in proper journal-boxes on one of theside frames of A On these shafts I; are secured the water-wheels C C C,having spiral blades c c c, dac., placed at such angles as may be foundmost suitable for the current in which the machine is to be operated.(')n the inner ends of the shafts B are beveled gear-wheels b b b.

A shaftD is supported in suitable journalboxes d, the., on the crossbarsA and the end bars of frame A. .On this shaft I) are beveled wheels d',Lit-c., which mesh with the beveled wheels b, dac. On one end of shaftD, outside of the frame A, is a beveled wheel D', which gears with abeveled wheel E on a vertical shaft E. The lower end of shaft E isstepped in a projection e on the lower side of the end of frame A. Thisshaft E extends upwardly, and the upper end is supported in a suitablebearing in a bracket G. On the upper end of shaft E is a beveled wheele', which is adjustably secured on the shaft E and is fastened by aset-screw. (Not shown.) The wheel e gears with a beveled wheel H on theend of a short horizontal shaft II', which is suitably supported on ametal frame I, which frame can be secured to any proper structure N bybolts n, to be well anchored in a-foundation of masonry or timber,according to the situation of the stream and surroundings. On the shaftIl there is a large spur-wheel J and a small spur-wheel J The spur-wheelJ gears with a wheel K on a horizontal shaft L, extending the wholelength of the apparatus, and is supported in suitable journal-boxes l Zin the frame I and on two arms m m', projecting from a bar M, which baris supported at each end upon bracketsM M, secured to the foundations NN by suitable bolts anchored therein. On this shaft L, between thebearings ZZ', is a double clutch L', to be operated by the handle Z',which can be secured in either of the three notches z" in the yoke(Shown in Fig. I.) The purpose of this clutch will be hereinafterexplained.

At each end of the frame A there is a standard a, to which is securedv avertical screwthreaded rod O. Immediately above the bar M on eachscrew-rod O is fitted a wor1n-wheel O', which works upon an endlessthread o on the horizontal rod L. Whenever the rod L is rotated, thewheels O are carried around, and by means of the interior threads in thehubs of the wheels the screw-rods O O are raised or lowered, and theframe A is thereby adjusted to the proper position in the current. Toaccomplish this raising and lowering the clutch L is used.

On the shaft II is a small wheel J and between it and the wheel l on theshaft L is an idle-wheelj, to give wheel Z the opposite direction ofwheel K. It will be observed that shaft .IYI always revolves in onedirection only; hence the spurgear J carries its corresponding wheel Kin the opposite direction. Then the clutch is o pen, the wheel Krevolves loosely on shaft L, as also does the wheel Z", and shaft Lremains idle. Vhen the clutch is thrown to the left hand, as shown inFig. 2, the screw-rods 0 are raised by means of the worm gear-wheels O'.Then the clutch is thrown to the right, then the rods O are lowered.This part of the apparatus is designed to adjust vertically the frame A,with the water-wheels, to the proper depth in the current by the motionof the wheels themselves.

On the outer end of the shaft H is a pulley IOO h, from which motion isto be taken by a band connected to a drum on a counter-shaft to conveypower to any machinery.

\Vhenever it becomes necessary to adjust the height of the frame A bymeans of the clutch, the force of the current operating on the Wheels Cwill be conveyed to the elevating screw-rods O from the driving-shaft Hthrough the connecting-wheels J and K. It Will sometimes be necessarythat the frame should be raised above the water. To effect this I employcrank-handles ID on the ends of the shaft IJ. IVhen the water-wheels andframe A are small, the Whole apparatus as geared can be turned by thehandles.

To prevent the current from forcing the frame A downstream and to keepit in its proper position, anchoring-rods R are to be attached at oneend to the corners by suitable fastenings r and the other ends securedon the'shore on each side.

Vtfhenever the bar M is required to be very longA by the use of manywater-wheels, then it .will be necessary to have it sufficiently bracedby ordinary means to sustain the weight.

That each water-Wheel inay do hits work without being interfered with bythe churning of its next neighbor, I place between the wheels adiaphragm S, which forms separate flumes Vfor the water-wheels.

I claim- The combination of the Atraine A, supporting a series ofwater-wheels C, having spiral wings c, their shafts B being parallelwith each other and the thread of the current and having beveled gears hon one end, a horizontal shaft D, placed transversely to the shafts Band having thereon beveled gears d, to mesh with the gears Zi, and abeveled gear D on its end, the beveled gear E and vertical shaft E',having on its upper end the beveled gear e', the beveled gear H andshaft H', having on it the two spur-Wheels J J and a driving-pulley 71.,the idle-wheel j, the spurgears K and j, and double clutch L on thehorizontal shaft L, having endless threads o, the Worm-wheels O', andscrew-rods O, connected to the frame A, all substantially as described,whereby the motion of the currentwheels will adjust the height of theframe by means of the clutch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in y presence of twowitnesses.

RICHARD E. GRAY. IVitnesses:

JAMES SMALL, W. A. SHORT.

